the best skin of your life
All the latest tools and treatments to give you complexion perfection.
Gone are the days of looking “done”. Now, light-touch treatments, innovative techniques and customisable formulas are rewriting the ageing rule book to keep you looking like yourself, only better
FIRST, A WORD ON WHY WE DON’T ALL AGE THE SAME WAY
When that melee went down last year over Margot Robbie’s age, the world wasn’t out for blood and her birth certificate based on her wrinkle count. No, people thought there was something else making her look older than her 27 years, though the internet couldn’t quite put its scrolling, trolling finger on it. Meanwhile, her Suicide Squad co-star Jared Leto had countless articles devoted to his for ever youthful appearance. So was it a man/woman thing? Or had Robbie’s sunny Aussie upbringing simply caught up with her, while Leto had somehow kept his face frozen in Jordan Catalano time? Why is it that some of us can do all the right skin things (sunscreen, expensive creams, et al), yet still manage to age faster than that friend who rarely washes her face?
“We can all look at our parents and see the sort of trajectory of where we’re going, whether we like it or not,” says Adam Geyer, consulting dermatologist for Kiehl’s. “But while genetics is a component in terms of our intrinsic ageing, the extrinsic factors are enormous. Whether it’s sun exposure, smoking, alcohol... all that stuff is a factor in ageing, regardless of genetics.”
Wrinkles have long been skin’s arch nemesis, but today’s consumers are catching up on what dermatologists have known for years – the changes in elasticity, volume, texture, pigment and pores all contribute to how old we look. “Rather than striving to erase all these signs and look younger, people are accepting that they just want to look good for their age,” explains Geyer. “That has shifted the dialogue away from filling people’s faces excessively and ironing out every wrinkle to really improving quality of skin, texture and tone as a way to make the skin look healthy.”
Kiehl’s has tapped into the one-cream-can’t-fit-all concept with its Apothecary Preparations, a range of serums specifically tailored to your skin’s needs. Following an evaluation, consultants prescribe two active complexes for you to drop into a hydrating and plumping serum base. Whether you want to address redness with vitamin E while you smooth texture with lipo hydroxy acid, or simultaneously shrink pore size with salicylic acid and fight wrinkles with retinol or brighten with vitamin C, the choice is yours. It brings a sense of freedom (and fun) for the consumer while allowing the results-driven brand an opportunity to use the globe as one giant skincare focus group.
“Things that tend to vary in terms of geography have a huge impact on how your skin will age,” says Geyer. The sun is an obvious common culprit, but temperature and city-versus-rural pollutants can all change the rate of ageing. “If the climate is humid, your skin is going to be less desiccated and more hydrated, and if it’s dry, you’ll likely have a compromised skin-barrier function.”
That’s not to say that those born in a complexion-threatening climate are doomed to look ready for a seniors’ discount before their time. “It’s about what you do and don’t put in your system,” says Geyer. Think: less stress and more sleep, less sugar and more brightly coloured fruits and vegetables to help stave off the destruction of collagen. “Investing in goodquality products is also worth the time and expense, because they really do make a difference.”
LOOKING “DONE” IS SO DONE
The era of obvious work is over. Now, cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists have become the superstars of skin, using stealth placement, new technologies and innovative techniques to make tiny and untraceable tweaks to the face. Here’s what’s trending now in treatments.
NEW WAYS TO NEEDLE
“In the old days, we didn’t really understand what was going on behind the canvas, we just treated the canvas with fillers. But the face is not just a static document that sits there – it’s dynamic and it moves,” says dermatologist Natasha Cook. In her Sydney clinic, she’s found success using fillers through the lateral and outer points of the face, treating deflation in the temples and lifting the outer brow. “If we correct volumetric loss in this zone first, we can often get away without filling in the central part of the face,” which, she warns, can lead to the dreaded pillowy, chipmunk look.
TAKE IT ON THE CHIN
Belkyra, the latest flab jab to minimise double chins, is finally available on our shores (find a clinic at nomoredoublechin.com.au). The injection features a naturally occurring molecule that dissolves fat without damaging cells. Two treatments can be all that’s needed to diminish fullness and tighten under the chin, with rumours mounting it’ll be further developed to treat other areas in the future.
A CLOSE SHAVE
Dermaplaning is the latest buzzy treatment popping up in skincare clinics across the country. Each session involves having a fine blade run across your face, essentially shaving your face to remove the top layer of dead skin (available at allsaintsskinclinic.com.au). It’s said to increase penetration and the efficacy of products, with light therapy used later in the session. Makeup also goes on super-smooth in the days after the treatment, making it perfect for a special occasion. “It’s a great way to exfoliate on a deeper level and remove peach fuzz, which all women have,” says Kate Somerville, one of the first to implement dermaplaning at her LA clinic. Her top tip? DIY at home to stay smooth in between your pro treatments. “I’ve been shaving my face since my twenties as my eczema prevented me from waxing,” she says. “Shaving was also a part of Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor’s beauty regimens.”
ORDER, ORDER
It’s not just your skincare products that are important – the order in which you apply them can affect how well they work. “A good rule is to apply the products with the lightest consistency first, finishing with the heavier consistency,” says skincare expert Melanie Grant, who suggests starting with serums, followed by an eye gel, then a face oil and finishing with heavier creams and sunscreens.
Somerville is a fan of the patchwork approach and suggests only applying products where needed. “Your face has different ecosystems – for example, you may have breakouts on your chin but your eyes and cheeks need moisture,” she says. “Get to know your skin and apply the products where you need to.”
JOIN THE RETINOL REVIVAL
“Retinol is my favourite antiageing ingredient. It helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles, boosts collagen in the skin, alleviates pigmentation and improves skin texture,” says celebrity facialist Shani Darden, who is responsible for the glowing complexions of A-list beauties such as Rosie Huntingtonwhiteley, Chrissy Teigen and Jessica Alba. “You need to build it up gradually as retinol can be drying, so start by using it one night a week, then add a night each week if your skin can tolerate it.”
“I OFTEN WAKE UP PUFFY, SO I PLUNGE MY FACE IN ICE WATER”
FREEZE FRAME
Ingredients come and go, but sometimes all your skin needs is a good chill. “I’ve been in practice for more than 40 years and one cure I always recommend is a cold compress,” reveals dermatologist Dr Gary Goldfaden, who uses it to relieve sunburn, itchiness, redness and inflammation.
Makeup artist Lisa Eldridge presses cucumber-infused iceblocks into jetlagged models’ faces to tighten contours, while Crystal Patel, owner of Melbourne’s Clinica-lase, tells her clients to keep cooling products in the fridge to calm skin after IPL. And Grant swears by Kate Moss’ ice-cube facial. “I can often wake up a little puffy, so I like to plunge my face in ice water,” she says. “It works a treat and is so refreshing.”
WHY SO SENSITIVE?
A bit of redness here and there is nothing to worry about, but chronic irritation? “When the majority of people refer to the term sensitive skin, they’re generally referring to skin that’s become sensitised to outside influences,” says dermatologist Dr Nicholas Perricone, who names weather conditions, extreme heat and cool air, pollution, harsh chemicals and irritating topical products as common irritants. “If not properly protected and cared for, sensitive skin can age more quickly as it will experience more damage from the sun and the environment.”
“IF NOT PROPERLY CARED FOR, SENSITIVE SKIN CAN AGE MORE QUICKLY”
EXFOLIATION UPDATE
If you’re not exfoliating, you’re selling your skin short. “The removal of dead skin cells will make skin look younger, tighter and absorb products better,” explains Goldfaden, who likens un-exfoliated skin to an unpeeled onion. “It can look rough, uneven and has dark spots, as there is a build-up of dead skin cells, dirt and bacteria.” Skip the harsh scrubs (especially if you suffer from rosacea) and instead pick a formula that uses fruit enzymes to dissolve dead skin cells, decongest and deal with textural issues. “I always exfoliate in the shower with steam,” reveals Somerville. “Steaming not only warms the skin, it also adds moisture and hydration to soften.”
“THE REMOVAL OF DEAD SKIN CELLS MAKES SKIN LOOK YOUNGER AND TIGHTER”
WATCH THE WAY YOU WORK OUT
Going beyond the “when you feel good you look good” factor, now science is saying working out makes you younger at a cellular level, too. A recent study out of the US found that participants who ran between 30 and 40 minutes a day, five days a week, showed a “biological ageing advantage” of nine years over those who were sedentary. Still, there are certain ways to sweat that are better for your skin. “We all know that exercise can make us feel good and release endorphins, so there’s a glow that can come from within when our bodies and minds are firing on all cylinders,” says Geyer. “But in terms of physiological effects, there are many things that can happen, both good and bad.”
DON’T SWEAT IN THE SUN
“Athletes have to be really careful to remember sunscreen application and sun-smart behaviours,” says Geyer. He recommends not exercising outdoors in peak UV hours but instead at the beginning or end of the day.
IF THE REDNESS NEVER ENDS
“For some athletes, you can see an increase in the vascularity in their skin and a greater dilation of veins, so that’s one risk for people who are rosacea-prone.” If this is the case for you, fight the flush by breaking up exercises into shorter 15-minute blocks to avoid overheating, and switch out strenuous workouts like HIIT for low-intensity swimming or Pilates.
PLUMPING IRON
“One thing people look at in my field is people who exercise extensively over time,” says Geyer, revealing that when it comes to age and exercise, you have to pick what to preserve. “We all look better with a bit of volume in our cheeks, but for older athletes like long-distance runners, it’s hard to maintain that look of youth when you’re really thin. So there’s a balance to exercise – [working out] but not so excessively that your volumes change significantly.”